Leah Guadagnoli

Region: MFA Annual

I make irregularly shaped abstract paintings that integrate fabric, upholstery, paint, wall textures, and furniture padding. I choose patterns and replicated surfaces that recollect the gaudy interiors often found in waiting rooms, airports, hallways, and coach buses. They also act as signs for my idea or perception of the past. The prints and textures are used not only to embellish ordinary and often overlooked floors and seats, but are also functional in their ability to disguise stains, dirt, and grime left by frequent passersby. People often ask to touch the paintings, or just rub their hands against the surface without permission. The works are plush, shiny, and meticulously constructed in a way that seems mechanical and sterile. Painted parts come off as vinyl; patterned fabric looks painted. It is not until one gets up close, or sneaks in a touch, that the mysteries are resolved, just slightly.